114 Occasional Notes. 



8. Hungarian Stork in Natal. — The following corre- 

 spondence appeared in the London ' Times ' : — 



(i.) Hungarian Stork in Natal, — Mr. Peter McKenzie 

 writes from Seaforth, Himeville, District Polela, Natal, under 

 date February 4 : — " On January 30, 1909, my nephew shot 

 a Stork with his rifle. On examining it he was astonished 

 to find a metal band round one of its legs. On this band was 

 the following inscription : — ' Ornith. Kozpout, Budapest, 

 Hunoaria, 209.' Should you find room for these few lines, 

 I hope they may come to the notice of those who put the 

 band on. Polela is the south-westernmost district of Natal, 

 adjoining Basutoland.""— ' Times,' weekly ed., Mar. 5th, 1909. 



(ii.) Bird Migration. 

 To the Editor of the Times. 



gjR^ — The notice of The Times, March 3, " A Hungarian 

 Stork in Natal," roused everywhere the greatest interest. 

 This encourages me to ask you the favour of your publicity 

 for the following considerations. 



One of the hardest points to solve concerning the problem 

 of bird migration was the question whether our birds, going 

 to Africa for winter-quarters, pass the Equator. The 

 Hungarian Stork shot in Natal is a direct proof that they 

 pass beyond the Equator, and the ringed Stork liberated 

 in North Germany which was killed in the Bushmen's 

 country is a further evidence of the fact. In both cases 

 the identity of the individual was established with full cer- 

 tainty ; and this invests them with the highest importance. 



The geotrraphical elements of the Hungarian Stork shot 

 in Natal were the following: — 



It was liberated on the nest, as young one, at Hidveg, in 

 the south-eastern part of Hungary (Transylvania), lying 

 under N. lat. 45° 30' and E. long. (Greenwich) 25° 30', on 

 July 8, 1908, with a ring bearing No, 209. The bird 

 reached Polela in Natal, which lies under S. lat. 30° and 

 E. loner. 30°. The course taken was nearly straight to the 

 south, and passing the Equator, the length of travel in aerial 

 linebeinCT about 8600 kilometres. 



